Master of the Southwest: How Builder Greg Hunt Built a Legacy of Quality Craftsmanship
2024 MASTERS of the SOUTHWEST Award Winner - Greg Hunt
“I love building and all the challenges and relationships that come with it. Whether it’s a remodel or a new build, I enjoy finding unknowns and working on their solutions.”
Greg Hunt Builder
By Lauren Tyda | Portrait Photography by Melissa Valladares
In the heart of Cave Creek, among the rugged terrain and surrounded by saguaros and mature trees, builder Greg Hunt exudes as much strength and resilience as the countless homes he has constructed over four decades.
Framed by a backdrop of blue skies and endless mountain views, he gives a rare glimpse into his compound, a 20-acre ranch along a winding arroyo with main living quarters he lovingly calls his “tree house.” A handful of small buildings of reclaimed wood, stone and rusted metal elicit the rustic charm of an old Western town. “I built these almost entirely by myself,” Hunt states. “I like things to look like they were always here.”
His home office, nestled within a barn, stands in humble contrast to the lavish estates he has built across the Valley. “We’ve done contemporary, traditional, adobe and everything in between,” Hunt says. “But this place represents me and what I like to do—it’s where I’m in my element.”
Sitting amid this picturesque scenery, Hunt shares stories of his childhood on a Midwest farm, reminiscing about the roots that nurtured his affinity for the outdoors. “I always loved fixing things,” he says, recalling his early days in rural Missouri. “I knew how to swing a hammer at a young age. My dad was very frugal. You didn’t just buy stuff when it broke down—you fixed what you had. I watched my mother design three of our residences where I was raised. I can still remember her with a tape measure and a straight edge. During that time, she instilled in me her love of design and architecture and the satisfaction of bringing a home to life.”
Hunt’s foray into Arizona was perhaps more serendipitous. “My high school buddy and I had seen the movie ‘Easy Rider,’ about two guys who traveled the United States on bikes, so we decided to emulate that,” he chuckles, recalling a cross-country motorcycle trip in 1974 that brought him to Arizona. “I ended up here and stayed because I loved the weather.”
Hunt immediately began working for a construction firm and took side jobs before obtaining his builder’s license and starting a business with his wife, Kathy, in 1978. “We did mostly word-of-mouth projects,” he says. “She did the books; I did everything else.”
“I have been blessed to work with the best builders in the Valley, and Greg ranks among the very top.”
—Brent Kendle, architect
In 1981, the duo changed the name of their company to GM Hunt Builders, starting with smaller residences and eventually working their way up to larger residential homes. “It was slow growth, he explains. “We weren’t very profitable at first, but Kathy encouraged me to stick with it. ”
Hunt’s dedication to craftsmanship became the bedrock of his career. “We have a reputation for quality and getting things done on time,” he notes. “I’m fortunate to work with a lot of good architects and interior designers, and some of my employees and trades have been with me since the beginning. We earned our status as being 100% referral. We don’t advertise and don’t intend to. Our success is our reputation.”
Architect and fellow Phoenix Home & Garden Master of the Southwest Michael Higgins calls the builder a “unicorn” in the industry: “He is extremely focused and organized. When Greg gives a client a move-in date, you can bet on him hitting that date. He is a schedule-driven builder, and if you disappoint him, that will be your last project with GM Hunt. He is never afraid to speak up and offer his opinion for the good of the project and the client.”
Currently, Hunt is working on several projects, including a contemporary home in Paradise Valley with architect Brent Kendle, also a Master of the Southwest, called Desert Geode. “Few general contractors I have worked with can match Greg’s ability to manage his team, work out the challenges as they arise and maintain the quality promised to the client, sometimes years in advance,” Kendle says. “He is the epitome of a no-nonsense, straight-shooting guy. You always know where things stand, what works and what doesn’t. And he never takes on more than he knows he can do a stellar job on.”
Beyond his technical expertise, Hunt’s ethos of selecting projects based on the character of the client is a defining trait. “When I call to see if he is interested in a project, he never asks ‘how big, how expensive or where is it?’” Kendle says. “Instead, he always asks, ‘Are they nice people?’”
Away from the bustling city, Hunt finds solace in his barn office, surrounded by salvaged relics from old job sites.
“Every time I get north of Carefree Highway, it’s like a load comes off because I know I’m close to home,” he says, eyes glinting through the tall windows that frame a view of the creek and flourishing wildlife that comes to visit. “I like that solitude. I love nature and working with my hands.”
His weekends are not for lounging but for nurturing the land and tending to his passions—tinkering on his ranch with his five grandchildren and replanting and watering trees blighted by wildfire in Cave Creek.
“I like to think the homeowners I have worked with over the years respect me and enjoyed the process,” he muses on his career. “In some cases, I’ve done homes for three or four kids in the same family. That means a lot to me.”
Sources
Builder for all projects: Greg Hunt, GM Hunt Builders Remodelers, Inc., Phoenix, gmhuntbuilders.com.
Interior designer: Holly Ogden, Wiseman and Gale Interiors, Scottsdale, wisemanandgale.com.
Architect: Brent Kendle, AIA, LEED, AP, Kendle Design Collaborative, Scottsdale, kendledesign.com. Interior designer: Paul Buys, ASID, Paul L. Buys & Assoc., plbtdaz@gmail.com. Landscape architect: Steve Martino, FASLA; Tucson, stevemartino.net.
Architect: Mark Candelaria, AIA, Candelaria Design Assoc., Scottsdale, candelariadesign.com.
Architect: Michael Higgins, AIA, Higgins Architects, Scottsdale, higginsarch.com. Interior designers: Nancy Kitchell and Chris Brusnighan, Kitchell Brusnighan Interior Design Associates, Scottsdale, kitchellbrusnighan.com.
Architect: candelariadesign.com. Interior designer: Donna Vallone, Allied ASID, Vallone Design Inc., Scottsdale, vallonedesign.com.
